Berlin Alexanderplatz 

In late-1920s Berlin, Franz Biberkopf is released from prison and vows to go straight; however he soon finds himself embroiled in the city's criminal underworld.

Stars:

Günter Lamprecht, Claus Holm, Hanna Schygulla

2 wins & 4 nominations.

Cast

Complete series cast summary:
Günter Lamprecht	...	Franz Biberkopf 14 episodes, 1980
Claus Holm	...	Wirt / ... 12 episodes, 1980
Hanna Schygulla	...	Eva 12 episodes, 1980
Franz Buchrieser	...	Gottfried Meck 11 episodes, 1980
Brigitte Mira	...	Frau Bast / ... 10 episodes, 1980
Roger Fritz	...	Herbert / ... 9 episodes, 1980
Gottfried John	...	Reinhold Hoffmann 9 episodes, 1980
Barbara Sukowa	...	Mieze 7 episodes, 1980
Günther Kaufmann	...	Theo 7 episodes, 1980
Ivan Desny	...	Pums / ... 7 episodes, 1980
Volker Spengler	...	Bruno 7 episodes, 1980
Vitus Zeplichal	...	Rudi 7 episodes, 1980
Barbara Valentin	...	Ida 6 episodes, 1980

Storyline

This mini-series is a 15-1/2 hour episodic exploration of the character of Franz Biberkopf, "hero" of Alfred Döblin's acclaimed novel, as well as the Alexanderplatz area of Berlin that he inhabits.

---

Plot Keywords:

criminal | bum | drunkard | underdog | criminal gang | 

---

Genres:

Crime | Drama

---

Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Country:

West Germany Italy

Language:

German

Release Date:

10 August 1983 (USA)

Also Known As:

Berlin Alexanderplatz

Filming Locations:

Bavaria Studios, Bavariafilmplatz 7, Geiselgasteig, Grünwald, Bavaria, Germany

Box Office

Budget:

DEM 13,000,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Bavaria Film, Westdeutscher Rundfunk (WDR), RAI Radiotelevisione Italiana

Technical Specs

Runtime:

931 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Michael Ballhaus, director Rainer Werner Fassbinder's longtime collaborator, was the film's original cinematographer. He quit during pre-production, fed up with Fassbinder's irrational behavior (which included refusing to speak to Ballhaus, communicating with him through an assistant instead). According to Ballhaus, this was Fassbinder's way of "punishing" him for deciding to shoot a different movie with another director after their previous collaboration, The Marriage of Maria Braun (1978).

---

Connections

Referenced in Percy tårar (1996)

User Reviews

Brilliant

Inconsistent (morally), perfunctory (in some of the staging), brilliant (in most if not all of the acting), inconclusive, anachronistic... but enough of Cervantes, Shakespeare, Brecht and Dickens... Yes it does rank with them. The film makes the book seem almost hesitant, tentative; Doeblin's debt to Joyce all too obvious. But the film has an almost 'punk' bloody-mindedness about it, like a fanzine. Strong-flavoured sauce splashed over chips. And although 'epic' ( in the Brechtian sense, not the Cecil B de Mille) it has shape like a Mahler symphony has shape - not a simple arc but a scratty, jumbly progress through a crowd that gets you there ... As for central character Franz - played as Der Dumme Michel rather than the devious weasel of the book - he's the one to whom learning is so often offered but who is so incapable of embracing it. Fassbinder makes us care to try to understand the person whom we would move away from so rapidly in the Kneipe. This is simply one of the (many) cultural pinnacles of the 20th Century. Thanks to Channel 4 for introducing it to us 20-odd years ago and thanks to Second Sight who has published it on DVD. Buy it! Make time and enjoy it!